Improvement in fire and water proof roofs



T. NEW. Fir-eand Water Proof Ro0f.-.

No. 209,131.. Patented Oct. 22,1873;

NITED STATES A'rnN'r nron.

TOBIAS NEW, OF. NEIV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE AND WATER PROOF ROOFS;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,131, dated October22, 1878; application filed October To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, ToBIAs NEW, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Proofand lVater-Proof Roof- Pavement; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification,in which the figure is a section of a roof.

The invention relates to means whereby may be constructed a roof that isat the same time water-proof, fire-proof, and adapted to convenient usefor walking, for domestic or for business uses.

My invention is substantially described in the following description;but I do not limit myself to the particular description given. as thesame may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I prefer to use, and ordinarily do use, in making and laying a roofaccording to the principles of my invention, the following materials inthe following manner, viz: The materials employed are plain felt,saturated roofing-felt, bituminous composition, and brick, tile, slate,stone, or metal, or equivalent materials, and I use and lay thempreferably as follows: A represents the roof-beam, with the planks B orother foundation.

If my improved roof is laid upon wood, I lay first a layer or layers ofdry felt, O, in order to prevent the smell of the saturated felt andbituminous composition from penetrating below into the building. Uponthis layer or layers of dry felt I place alternate layers of saturatedfelt paper D and bitumen orbituminous composition E, preferably four orfive of each. Upon this water-proof lining or equivalent material Iplace a layer, F, consistin g of a composition of bituminous cement andsand, preferably in about the'proportion of three parts of sand to fourparts of bitumi nous cement. While this composition of cement and sandis hot and in a plastic state I place bricks, tile, slate, stone, metalor other rigid material, G, filling the joints with the samecomposition. I may also (though I do not prefer to) cover the surface ofthe roof with the same composition or any other similar suitablematerial.

This composition, composed of bituminous cement and sand, binds thewater-proof lining below to the tile or other rigid substance above,forming a water-proof and fire-proof roof and pavement.

The dry felt first laid not only prevents the smell of the bituminousmaterial from penetrating below, but acts as an absorbent to receive andretain the filtrations from above.

Upon fire-proof structures in which the roof is placed on concrete orother similar foundation, a layer of bituminous cement would firstbeplaced on such foundation, and then the first layer of saturated feltplaced upon that, dispensing with dry felt and carrying up the remainderof the roof, as above provided.

This layer of composition of cement and sand is an important feature ofmy invention, and will be described hereinafter.

I am aware of the patent issued to Mills 85 Smith, No. 40,542, datedNovember 3, 1863, but that patent does notprovide for a complete orpractical roof. It has no intermediate layers of bituminous compositionor of saturated felt, the roof does not afford adequate protection, andwill become brittle and crumble. Mills 85 Smith also use asphalt, pitch,or coal-tar distilled, upon which to place their tile, slate, 850.,which, in that condition, is very perceptibly affected by the sun andeasily softened, and adheres to the feet in warm weather, when roofs aremost resorted to, and by its escape leaves the roof more or less exposedto the rain and weather, and by melting forms an uneven deposit, andleaves the outer surface of the roof uneven, ragged, and impracticablefor walking on.

By mixing sand or other equivalent material with bituminous matter, I amenabled to make a kind of mortar which does'not by adhesion to the feetor in any degree prevent Walking on the roof, does not escape by meltingand flowing, but forms a more rigid bed or deposit than mere bitumen orasphalt, in which it holds immovably the tiles, slate, brick, or othermaterial, and secures a permanently even surface to the roof for walkingand other social, domestic, and business purposes.

My invention, as herein described, can be discriminated from a formerinvention for which Letters Patent No 8,414 were reissued to meSeptember 10, 1878. In that patent I relied on a layer of Portlandcement imposed upon the water-proof materials below and holding embeddedthe brick or tiles, &c., above, and I now regard that contrivance as thebetter for certain uses, but it is more expensive.

My present contrivance enables me to dispense entirely with the layer ofhydraulic-cement mortar which, in my reissued patent No. 8,414, isdescribed to be placed upon the water-proof materials, and upon whichisplaced the brick, 8tc., and by the use of sand or equivalent material toutilize the heavy coat of asph'altic cement or equivalent water-proofmaterials directly. By this admixture of sand I am enabled to make asubstance practically of an entirely different character from purebitumen or asphalt, and of a kind indispensable for combining thefeatures of a good roof and firm practicable pavement. While this roofis not as perfect a paved roof as the roof in Reissue No. 8,414, itmakes a practicable good working paved roof, and permits of greatereconomy, requiring fewer materials and less labor and less skilled laborthan the paved roof in Reissue No. 8,414.

I do not claim as new the use of bitumen or bituminous composition, orof saturated roofing-felt; butI apply the same, in combination with aninterposed layer of bituminous cement and sand or equivalent materials,between the water-proof materials of felt and bituminous composition andthe outer materials for a pavement, such as brick, tile, slate, &c.

I do not limit myself, however, to the particular materials orcombinations hereinbefore described, as I may use any foundationwhatever on which to lay my materials, and I may use saturated feltonly, and in one or more thicknesses, and I may use alphaltic cement orequivalent water-proof material only, and I may use them together in anyrelation whatever to each other or to the layer of cement and sand abovedescribed, provided that the same is not the substantial layer or bed onwhich the tile or other materials are placed. I may use additionallayers of cement and sand or similar material in other relations to thecombination than Ihave described, taking care always to have such layerinnnediately beneath the tile, brick, 800., as the bed in and on whichthe same rest; but such is not my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the planking B or other foundation with the dry feltG and layers of saturated felt paper D and bitumen or bituminouscomposition E, with the layer of cement and sand F and the superimposedtile, brick, slate G, or other similar material, substantially as aboveset forth.

TOBIAS NEW. WVitnesses R. B. POWELL, L. W. HARRINGTON.

